Sweet Leaf
by KaeoticNeutrael
Summary: What happens when you hold back emotions too long and it becomes too late?


The shaky semblance of a song-fic I wrote a while back. I couldn't _quite_ remember how I had first written it. But I remember the basics, and hopefully it's still as grand -coughs- as I had thought it to be when I was writing it those years ago. If I can ever dredge up the original copy I might replace this with it. The song is _Sweet Leaf_ by Black Sabbath off of their Masters of Reality album. A somewhat darker side of love, I think.

R&R please -does a little happy dance-

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_-cough sound-_

The scene opens to a snapshot slide show of Hiro and Duo running desperately in the night as gun fire and explosions happen all around them. They are escaping an Oz base and darting to the surrounding woods, it's night and the only light is from the massive fires that the Oz base is giving off, Duo is noticeably wounded in his chest as Hiro practically drags him to safety.

_-music starts-_

Hiro and Duo are on the ground of a small clearing, the former pilot bleeding heavily onto the grass. Hiro is kneeling beside him trying to slow the bleeding and make Duo shut up, only to have Duo protest, laughing it off as if it were nothing. His lips move silently in what seems to be a care free attitude, though his eyes are riddled with fear

_Alright now!_

Hiro places a finger over Duo's moving lips, catching the pilot's eye, trying to make him just be quiet and reserve his strength.

_Won't you listen_

Unphased Duo keeps rambling, the light in his eyes slowly dimming as Hiro frantically works to making the blood stop gushing._  
When I first met you didn't realize_

Forest image fades out to that of Hiro free falling from the building and Duo's exasperated cries for him to wake up. Flashes to Hiro hitting the slope and tumbling down it. _  
I can't forget you or your surprise_

On the ship now Hiro is setting his own leg, watching Duo's sickened reaction from the corner of his eyes and hearing his comment. Snaps back in to the forest with an overhead shot, slowly zooming in and then panning out horizontally on the scene. Duo's eyes are slightly widened, not seeming to see Hiro or anything around him for that matter.

_You introduced me to my mind_

Sitting alone in a prep school room Hiro is typing on his laptop as Duo suddenly bursts through the door, braid swinging side to side, waggling two concert tickets to his favorite industrial band. Grinning mischievously he tries unsuccessfully to persuade Hiro to go. Frowning slightly the braided pilot brings a cushioned rolling chair over to Hiro's desk, straddling it back first as he starts conversing with him, giving up his concert to try and spend some time with the perfect soldier. Gradually Hiro stops typing and actually enters the conversation.

_And left me wanting you and your kind_

Fades in to an outside school courtyard at the prep school. Duo is surrounded by giggling girls, entertaining them with his vibrant personality and gesticulation. Hiro is sitting at the table in front, by himself, trying to concentrate on a text book but secretly watching Duo. A sheen comes into his eyes, the beginnings of frustrated and hateful tears. Duo suddenly looks over at Hiro and catches his eye, slamming the book shut Hiro rises angrily and storms away. Duo is shocked and immediately follows suit, leaving the girls confused and huffy.

_-musical interlude-_

Slamming the door in Duo's face he is surprised when it doesn't get all the way closed and is kicked back open. Breathing heavily from the chase Duo starts screaming at Hiro, wanting to know what the hell his problem was. There's nothing but anger in his eyes and he notices the hurt in Hiro's too late as he dodges a paperweight.

_-still in the interlude but faintly through the music you hear Duo and Hiro's voices-_

"What the hell was that about, Yui!" Duo rushes up and grabs Hiro by his arms, forcing the other pilot into immobility, though Hiro is by far strong enough to break the hold. Shaking him lightly he gets no response and spins on his heel, shoving papers off a desk in aggravation. Duo blinks as a single photograph floats to the ground, one of Relena and Hiro dancing.

Zooms in on the slow, swirling descent of the photograph. Angered and embarrassed because of his previous attempts to hit on Hiro he glares at the picture, bringing that glare up and into Hiro's eyes, now impossibly blank and cold.

"I see how it is, Hiro.."

Clenching his fist Hiro fights the urge to break down and explain himself. Too much pride and not a strong enough connection to these new emotions prevent him from making any such response. He just needed to be alone, no drama, just this room.

"Get out. Get out or I'll kill you!"

"Oh, that flimsy fucking threat again!" heat burned those words into Hiro's mind as Duo swept up the photograph and proceeded to rip it in a thousand pieces, stepping close enough to Hiro to make breathing uncomfortable.

"I never figured you'd be a talker, but that pick up line only works for dumb blonde broads!" He threw the shreds in Hiro's face, missing the anguish that suddenly stained prussian eyes and the words that had been scrawled on the back in perfect block script.

_I love you _

Reacting the only way he knew how Hiro punched him across the face, instantly regretting it. Duo's face turned slightly but his eyes went wide and vacant, body immediately seeming to turn in on itself as he just stared at Hiro before walking out of the room silently, not even closing the door.

_Oh you know it_

Stunned Hiro sits down, reaching his hand out to the open door way as if hoping it would draw Duo back to him. He couldn't chase Duo down, he didn't know how...

_My life was empty forever on a down_

Image of Hiro's laptop screen flashing a mission objective before a snapshot slideshow of the battle entails. explosions and gun fire fill the screen, the last image is of Hiro staring emptily at his monitor while in Wing Zero.

_Until you took me showed me around_

Rushing over to Hiro Duo yanks the pilot out of his seat and hurriedly shoves him out the door. The next image is of them sitting at a table in a gothic night club, Duo swaying to the music as they both consume drinks and talk to each other. Hiro's eyes aren't as cold and there's a slight smirk on his face the whole time.

_My life is free now, my life is clear_

Flashes back to Hiro and Duo in the clearing. Hiro's eyes are worried and Duo's breathing is labored. Reaching up slowly with one hand Duo attempts to caress the side of Hiro's cheek while desperately trying to voice one word

"ai...ai...shi..te..r..u.."

_I love you sweet leaf - though you can't hear_

Duo's hand drops just before it reaches Hiro's face, the descent captured in slow motion as his shallow breathing stops. A flash of Duo coyly playing with Hiro's hair in their prep room before it flashes back to the present. Duo smiles feebly in apology, his eyes looking thankful as the light drains out, leaving only dulled violet glass.

_-musical interlude-_

Snapshot slideshow of various scenes with Hiro and Duo: Deathscythe ramming Wing Zero out of the way to take the blow himself, watching a movie with Duo while pretending to be typing, walking in on a crying Duo and wrapping his arms around the youth with uncertainty, defending Duo in a verbal assault of the pilots sexuality by other prep school boys, one on one basketball, etc. The last image a close up on a photograph of Duo, slipped beneath the edge of wing Zero's control panel. Duo's last written note before their current mission slipped beside it. One that was written in a hurried, shaking hand after their last fight, before they entered the battlefield with anger and spite for each other: _why don't you ever say you love me?_.

_Come on now - try it out_

Shaking his head Hiro slowly takes off the cross necklace Duo had given him. Zooming in on his face it is, for the first time, unmasked and seething with pain his eyes filled with unshed tears and unhindered emotion. Laying the cross beside Duo's body the perfect soldier rips his tank open and off, softly cleaning Duo's face and hands of blood.

_Straight people don't know what you're about_

Hiro starts rearranging Duo's body in a peaceful position on his back. Trembling as he does so and murmuring softly the lords prayer.

_They put you down and shut you out_

Picking up the cross gently Hiro placed it in Duo's left hand, fingers lingering over the filigree and leather cord. Clasping the stiffening hands together he leans forward until his lips are softly brushing against Duo's.

_You gave to me a new belief_

Closing his eyes somberly a single tear drop falls vertically into Duo's still open ones, trickling softly down the youths cheek as Hiro's fingers gently slide the lids down. Rising the youth walks away and the scene fades out.

_And soon the world will love you sweet leaf_

Back at the prep school Hiro is rifling through his desk, finding the pieces of Relena's and his picture he had painstakingly taped back together. Wiping at already tear stained cheeks he compared it to the one of Duo's smiling face. He had intended to give them out to their expected recipients. Before that fight with Duo…

_-as the music fades out the two notes written on the back of each picture is displayed until the music completely fades out and a few seconds afterwards as well-_

_Hiro,_

_I need to know what it is that you feel for me. I know that you're not cold and cruel and unemotional, but it seems that way when you play games with my heart. I doubt you can imagine the grief it puts me through to call out constantly to you and hear no answer in return, it's simply maddening. If you have any kind of humanity in there reply to this on the bottom._

_Relena,_

_My possession of humanity is none of your concern. However, I will inform you that I will not be seeking any romantic relations with you, ever. As far as my own emotions are concerned they are deeply buried with another. I ask you to refrain from harassing me and Duo with your phone calls and constant mission tag-a-longs. Or I _will_ kill you._

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_I write this out of the inadequacy I have withverbally communicatingand apologize for being so. If I were to spend the rest of my life somewhere I fear it would be in your arms. I fear because I cannot comprehend these emotions fully and being vulnerable is a position I offer to no one but yourself. My life, with yours…to live together and die together…my gatherer of souls. __Aishiteru…_

_Please reply…_

**Sooooooo...didja like?? R&R please.**


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